Very readable account of the Trojan Wars. Somehow manages to retain a level of historical gravitas and tell a rip-roaring war story at the same time. ( )

SUMMARY: New retelling of the Trojan War notable in that in tells the story from the vantage point of all major characters.

WHY YOU'LL LIKE IT: McCollough has a gift for prose; the words flow seemlessly together and practically leap off the page and visual images form in your head. McCollough picks up on a lot of themes alluded to in the Iliad, i.e. Achilles and Patroclus as lovers, and makes them explicit. Powerful descriptions, tender love scenes, and enthralling action sequences all paced well make this a winner. She proffers the war was fought not over Helen but for control of the Hellespont and the Black Sea, as well as Asia Minor; definitely plausible.

WHY YOU WON'T: As a trained classicist, I just couldn't get behind some of the characterizations in this novel, particularly that of Helen. In the primary sources, this important character actually is given almost no voice. The voice McCollough gives her is one of a precocious nymphomaniac transformed later into a vain, egotistical, superficial slut who willingly abandons her children because they are not as beautiful as she. Just couldn't buy it, which is why I awarded 3 stars rather than 4.

BOTTOM LINE: If you love mythology and war/action sagas with a romantic undercurrent, you'll enjoy this book immensely. ( )

An excellent retelling of the Trojan War and one of my favorite books. It's a shame this one is out of print here in the States. I wound up having to order my copy from Canada.

Ms. McCullough brilliantly weaves together the various legends and mythic events surrounding the Trojan War, but does it all in a believable way.

Starting with Hercules visiting Troy and being taken advantage of by the Trojan king, The Song of Troy establishes the enmity between Troy and Greece and what reasons there may have been to go to war. Helen is still taken to Troy by Paris. But very good and logical reasons are provided for Greece to send so many warriors to Troy. Ultimately Helen is more of a symbolic excuse for two bitter enemies to finally duke it out.

The entire Trojan War is presented in this way. The super-heroic details we're all familiar with (the Trojan horse, Achilles' heel, etc.) are preserved here, yet presented in a realistic and very human way. What is a coincidence to you and I can be taken as a proof of a god's intercession if a believer looks hard enough for a sign.

The writing here is top-notch with each chapter being narrated by one of the major or minor participants. Priam, Agamemnon, Hector, Paris, Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax, Helen and others all get to tell their sides of the story. It would be so easy with such mythic subject matter to present cardboard versions of these people. Fortunately, Ms. McCullough is a much better writer than that. Each character has a distinct personality with very human fears and desires and is given a unique voice. You'll soon have certain narrators you're looking forward to hearing from again.

In some ways this is a tough book for me to review. I liked it so much that it's hard for me to give my opinions without heaping fanboy-like praise on it.

If you are interested in reading about the Trojan war, but either aren't interested in The Iliad and The Odyssey or just want to read further, I would heartily recommend The Song of Troy. If you enjoy it you can then move on to her equally excellent Masters of Rome books. ( )

I don't like McCulloch as a person, but you can't say she doesn't do her homework. She weaves together tonnes of different mythical strands to come up with a narrative of pre and post the Trojan war. Really impressive stuff. ( )